Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen, although it is mostly known by its 1976 #1 hit version recorded by Manfred Mann's Earth Band. Mann's remake was released in the United Kingdom in August 1976, where it reached No. 6 in the BMRB[1] charts. Contents http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blinded_by_the_Light# hide *1 History **1.1 Lyrics **1.2 Cover versions and reissues *2 Personnel **2.1 Original version **2.2 Manfred Mann's Earth Band cover *3 References *4 External links Historyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=1 edit The song came about when Columbia president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response. According to Springsteen, the song came about from going through a rhyming dictionary and looking for rhymes. The first line of the song, "Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat" is autobiographical—"Madman drummers" is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"); "Indians in the summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team; "teenage diplomat" refers to himself. The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night". "Blinded by the Light" was the first song on, and first single from Greetings from Asbury Park N.J. Springsteen's version was commercially unsuccessful and did not appear on the music charts. Lyricshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=2 edit Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of the song features several changed lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce."[2][3][4] This is commonly misheard as "wrapped up like a douche" (the V sound in "revved" is almost unpronounced, and the S sound in "deuce" comes across as "SH" due to a significant lisp)."[5][6] Springsteen himself has joked about the controversy, claiming that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular.[7] Cover versions and reissueshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=3 edit Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano. The song reached #1 on both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(magazine) Billboard]'s Hot 100 and on the Canadian [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPM_(magazine) RPM] chart on 19 February 1977. The Manfred Mann's Earth Band recording of "Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only Number 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100. In 2002, Danish act Funkstar Deluxereleased its disco version of this song. A "jazzified" version can be found on Springsteen's [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen_with_The_Sessions_Band:_Live_in_Dublin Live in Dublin] album, recorded with the Sessions Band. The song is featured in the films Blow and Running with Scissors. Personnelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=4 edit Original versionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=5 edit *Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards *Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez – drums, backing vocals *Clarence Clemons – saxophone, backing vocals with *Harold Wheeler – piano Manfred Mann's Earth Band coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=6 edit *Manfred Mann – organ, piano, keyboards, backing vocals *Colin Pattenden – bass *Dave Flett – electric guitar *Chris Hamlet Thompson – vocals, electric guitar *Chris Slade – drums, backing vocals with *Doreen Chanter – backing vocals *Irene Chanter – backing vocals *Susanne Lynch – backing vocals Referenceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=7 edit #'Jump up^' British Market Research Bureau #'Jump up^' Buzzelli, Mike (2010-04-26). "Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night". Observer-Reporter. Retrieved 2010-08-08.[dead link] #'Jump up^' "VH1 Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen". Retrieved 2010-08-08. #'Jump up^' The word deuce, in both the Springsteen and Earth Band versions, refers to a 1932 model Ford. #'Jump up^' Search results for misheard lyrics at kissthisguy.com #'Jump up^' Q: "Blinded By the Light, Revved Up Like a..." What? – Blogcritics Music at blogcritics.org #'Jump up^' "Bruce Springsteen". VH1 Storytellers. Episode 62. 2005-04-23. VH1. External linkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blinded_by_the_Light&action=edit&section=8 edit *"Blinded by the Light" lyrics from Bruce Springsteen's official site *Lyrics and detailed info for various versions at SpringsteenLyrics.com Category:1976 singles